At what age is it considered normal for a child to pick up objects using the palm of the hand only?

At what age is it considered normal for a child to pick up objects using the palm of the hand only?

• A. At 2 months of age
• B. At 6 months of age
• C. At 12 months of age
• D. At 18 months of age

Answer: (B)

The ability to pick up objects using the palm of the hand reflects the palmar grasp that emerges as infants gain voluntary hand control. Early on there is a reflexive grasp when an object touches the palm, but that isn’t a mature, voluntary action. As the nervous system matures, a palm-based grip appears around the age of 4 to 6 months, where the object is held in the palm with the fingers wrapping around it and the thumb not yet opposing the object. This stage comes before the more precise grasps that use the thumb and fingers together, which develop later (around 9–12 months). So, around 6 months is the normal time to see the palm-alone grasp appear.

The ability to pick up objects using the palm of the hand reflects the palmar grasp that emerges as infants gain voluntary hand control. Early on there is a reflexive grasp when an object touches the palm, but that isn’t a mature, voluntary action. As the nervous system matures, a palm-based grip appears around the age of 4 to 6 months, where the object is held in the palm with the fingers wrapping around it and the thumb not yet opposing the object. This stage comes before the more precise grasps that use the thumb and fingers together, which develop later (around 9–12 months). So, around 6 months is the normal time to see the palm-alone grasp appear.